Ultrasound Tested As Treatment For Prostate Cancer

An alternative to surgery is being tested as a treatment for prostate cancer in men whose radiation therapy has been unsuccessful.

Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital are one of three U.S. sites evaluating the effectiveness of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) on prostate cancer.

HIFU is administered through a device inserted in the rectum. The instrument focuses ultrasound waves on a small area of the prostate, the walnut-sized gland below the bladder that makes fluid for semen. The ultrasound creates enough heat to kill the cancerous tissue, and treatment continues until the entire prostate has been destroyed. The outpatient procedure can usually be completed within three hours, and the patient can go home after the spinal anesthetic wears off.

"Our research should help determine whether HIFU can treat prostate cancer without causing some of the side effects associated with other options," says principal investigator Dr. Brian Miles, medical director of the Texas Cancer Institute at St. Luke's and associate professor of urology at Baylor.

For cancer that is confined to the prostate, surgery and radiation are standard options. Complete removal of the prostate, known as a radical prostatectomy, can cause incontinence and impotence. Radiation therapy can cause rectal and bladder injuries, difficulty urinating and impotence. For cancer that has spread or metastasized, hormone therapy and chemotherapy are usually recommended. These treatments can also cause impotence, loss of sexual desire, fatigue and osteoporosis, or bone deterioration. For more information call 713-798-8514.

- From St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

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Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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